Despite Romney, GOP Will Blast Obamacare

Republican strategists and party officials plan to make healthcare reform a centerpiece of their campaign against President Barack Obama, despite the likely nomination of Mitt Romney for president, Politico reports. Romney, of course, implemented a healthcare reform plan as governor of Massachusetts that resembles Obamacare, though he has expressed strong opposition to Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

GOP heavyweights noticed the large role that opposition to the law played in helping Republicans gain control of the House in 2010. So they want to repeat the strategy, according to Politico.

The tenor of comments from Supreme Court justices during oral arguments this week showed there’s a good chance the court will overturn at least part of Obamacare in its decision expected in June, which would help the GOP’s campaign.

But many Republicans say that with Romney heading the party’s ticket, they will have to adopt a more narrow attack against Obamacare in this election than in 2010, according to Politico.

“I don’t think you can do the 2010 message, at least in a full-throated way, in 2012 with Gov. Romney as the nominee,” Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who received conservative acclaim for his suit against Obamacare, told Politico.